Sounds like an extraordinary claim, doesn’t it?
Unbelievable!
Preposterous, you say!
But look – I have proof…she’s thinner and by golly she’s wearing a Girls Can’t WHAT? roller derby shirt!
Still sounds too good to be true…yet you clicked through to see what the heck this was all about. Why?
Maybe deep down you were hoping there was a grain of truth to that statement and you were already mentally placing an order for a new t-shirt.
Maybe you just realized it was an absurd statement and you wanted to call me out on it and tell me my photoshopping skills are pathetic.
Or maybe you know me well enough to know I just used that provocative title (and image) to get your attention and that although there’s not an ounce of truth to it, I do have a point to make.
Either way, welcome to my discussion on false advertising and marketing gimmicks. In a nutshell, I despise them. And that’s likely an understatement. If you’re a regular reader of this site, you’ve no doubt seen my posts on airbrushing Britney Spears and other celebrities as well as the Dove videos and countless other crappy marketing shams targeted at women that I have exposed. If you’re not a regular reader, grab the RSS feed or sign up for the mailing list (top right corner of the page) so you’re not missing out on these glorious advertising atrocities.
It continually blows my mind that marketers think we women are dumb enough to fall for some of these tricks. And yet there are people out there that do buy into it, which of course is why marketers continue to over-exaggerate, practice bad science and outright lie to us. That does not make some women stupid, just misinformed.
The key here is education. That’s what I try to do here on the Girls Can’t WHAT? blog. When I run across stupidness on the Internet like this little con, I feel it is my duty to shine some light on it. Even if my readers are smart enough to recognize the deception, there may be someone out there who doesn’t. And I’m not doing the world any favors if I don’t point it out to others. The smarter we are about this stuff, the better off we will be as women and as individuals.
So if you want to buy a Girls Can’t WHAT? shirt, or any other items from my shop, don’t do it because you read a headline that told you it will help you shed a few pounds. Order a shirt or gift item because you like the positive message or because you think it will inspire someone you love.
I make no extraordinary claims about what I sell. They are T-shirts and gifts. The designs are meant to inspire and encourage women everywhere to pursue their passions. And 20% of all Girls Can’t WHAT? profits go to help women in need. It’s a pretty simple concept and one that requires no deceitful marketing on my part.
And guess what? People all over the world like the Girls Can’t WHAT? artwork. They like the style. They like the message. It motivates. It empowers.
In fact, today I am wearing the firefighter girl shirt as seen in the above photo. I’m not a firefighter, but I happen to love this design and I wear it in support of my female firefighter friends. I’m making a positive statement with a product I don’t have to lie about.
Have you seen any false advertising lately? Post it in the comments below and let’s expose them for the snake oil sellers that they truly are.
